Bradley, who made a charge up the leaderboard in yesterday’s third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill with a 6-under-par 66 to get to 7-under for the tournament, has been taking some advice from former NBA great Michael Jordan.

“I was talking to ‘MJ’ a bunch this off”‘season, and he was telling me to play much more cocky,’’ Bradley said. “He wants me to play with a lot more aggression and be cocky and just pretend like I’m playing him, which is normally a pretty good beating.

“I texted him [Friday] night and told him I [am going to do] what he was saying for the entire round [Saturday]. I just was going out there and pretended I was him.’’

The result was eight birdies and two bogeys and a vault into contention for today’s final round.

Bradley attributed his brashness to his trash-talking rounds with Jordan, with whom he played in the prestigious Medalist Golf Club member-guest recently.

“He just wanted me to be more cocky out there, more aggressive, and I’m learning through him what the mental side of what he was thinking, and that’s a big help to me,’’ Bradley said. “I kept telling myself out there that I hit these shots a million times in practice, so let’s just do it again, and I really didn’t mis”‘hit a shot all day.’’

Bradley, who hit all 14 fairways yesterday, said Jordan “uses examples where times I have been … sometimes a little passive.’’

“[Saturday] and [Friday] the last nine holes I felt like I was being cocky and carrying myself a little different,’’ Bradley said.

Bradley, who said he gives Jordan five shots a side when they play for money, plays a lot of golf with him in Jupiter, Fla., where they both have homes.

“I love playing golf with him, because you know you’re going to be out there and there’s going to be a lot of trash talk and he’s going to want to beat you,’’ he said.

“Definitely easiest money I’ve ever made,’’ Bradley joked.

* Mike Weir, who made his first cut since the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am this week, withdrew after 11 holes yesterday, saying he had a rib injury. This was Weir’s ninth start of the year. He is listed in the field for next week’s Shell Houston Open and will also play The Masters, which he won in 2003.